Gun Runner Dominates $500,000 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs

Gun Runner continued his dominance as one of the top horses in America Saturday, rolling down the Churchill Downs stretch to win the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) by a record 7 lengths. The victory secured Gun Runner a spot in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic, as the Stephen Foster is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge‘Win and You’re In’ race.

Gun Runner earned his sixth-straight triple digit Beyer Speed Figure, and his 110 in the Stephen Foster was his third-straight Beyer of 110 or higher.

Gun Runner was let loose on the lead and the heavy favorite cruised through fast fractions of 23.59, 47.23, 1:10.69, and the mile in a very quick 1:34.86. He drew away under Florent Geroux in a final winning time of 1:47.56. Gun Runner paid $3.00 to win and improved to 8-3-2 in 15 starts with earnings of $4,638,500.

“This horse is truly unbelievable,” Geroux said. “He’s one of the best horses I’ve ever ridden and to put forward this type of effort after running in Dubai is so impressive.”

Honorable Duty, ridden by Javier Castellano, had a good trip in pursuit of Gun Runner and Stanford, but was second best and 1 ¼ lengths in front of Breaking Lucky. The order of finish completed with Hawaakom, Stanford, Texas Chrome, Mo Tom, and Bird Song.

Asmussen said Gun Runner would ship in due course to Saratoga, probably with an eye toward the Aug. 5 Whitney, all the while working backward from the BC Classic Nov. 4 at Del Mar.